ArticleEuropean journal of pediatrics2018
Disaster zones-should we be clowning around?
Article in European journal of pediatrics, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed, 15 citations in OpenAlex.
- The framework and best practices of emergency medical teams: lessons learned from Israel's international field hospital response.Israel journal of health policy research · 2026Article
- Management of preoperative anxiety with non-pharmacological methods in pediatric patients in resource-limited settings: a literature review.Annals of medicine and surgery (2012) · 2025Review
- Medical clowns in Coronavirus wards: A milestone in further integration into Israeli hospitals.Complementary therapies in clinical practice · 2023Article
- A feasibility study of the use of medical clowns as hand-hygiene promoters in hospitals.PloS one · 2022Article
- Benefits of medical clowning in the treatment of young children with autism spectrum disorder.European journal of pediatrics · 2019Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Medical clowns have an important role in helping patients cope with their pain and distress. This is especially true in the pediatric population. However, their activity in a disaster area is unheard of. Following the Nepal earthquake in 2015, the Israeli field hospital set up in Kathmandu, Nepal was joined by five volunteer medical clowns. They were active in all parts of the field hospital. Following the hospital's activity, an online questionnaire was sent to the field hospital members to assess the impact of medical clowning on the hospital in general and its members' individual performance. Physicians and nurses found that medical clowning had a positive impact both generally and personally. (65.4 and 78.3% respectively on general impact.) Personnel that were not previously exposed to medical clowning also found them to have a positive impact; however, they were less likely to view it as impacting their personal performance.
conclusionMedical teams in disaster areas may benefit from the presence of medical clowns. What is known about this topic: • Medical clowns are used for alleviation and distraction in painful and distressful medical procedures and treatments. Its positive effect on patients, and their families are well established. WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS: • This is the first description of medical clowning in a disaster area. In addition, the impact of medical clowning on the medical staff working in a disaster area is evaluated. No previous studies have explored the impact of medical clowns on the medical staff.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.